From Taken to becoming a hero
by xstarshimmerx
Summary: A girl is taken from a village by Orochimaru but as she grows so does her interest in different things. What will this girl go do in her quest to find understanding? Who will she meet along the way and what path will she choose to go down? With the unexpected friends she comes across how will things work out? . . . this is my first fanfiction so please review and enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

This is my first official fanfiction so let me know if you like it not. I may or maynot update often but I'll do what I can! Disclaimer: I do not own any naruto character but Calea and sisnei belong to me. Enjoy!

Calea's story part one

Past:

"What a beautiful setting here," stated the raspy voice of Orochimaru as his snakelike eyes scanned over the village enveloped in bright flames. Just another place filled with new test subjects for his experiments, and with the sizable shinobi claimed by either him or the burning buildings he proceeded to walk about it burning remains. Some screams escaped the huts he passed and he sent his loyal subjects in to claim even more people to his already large enough collection.

It was a village secluded within the rainforest where it was rumored medical and illusion techniques were secretly kept. A marvelous find this would be, just as it had been when he found Kimimaru and Juego but more solid research that he could bend or twist to his needs. There was never a shortage of knowledge in this ninja world they lived in and he made it his ultimate goal to capture it all.

When he had come here on the whim of the secrets, his intentions wavered from subjects to the scrolls he sought to possess. The lord had gathered some of his loyal servants to gather those formidable to take part in his experiments and as each home was set to fire his test subjects grew sizably. Some fought back with their normal non-ninja skills but were easily taken out, and the others ran into the forest, possibly never to be seen again.

Yet something irked at the back of his mind though as his steps sounded on his path throughout the village, the adults either fought or ran but where were any, if not, all the children or even teenagers. In his entire village raid he had yet to encounter even one youngling, which was quite peculiar since it was expected of families to evacuate or such once a village came under attack. Any cries from the fire had been silenced but there were no child screams among them . . . strange.

"Kabuto, did you find any younglings?" Orochimaru's voice seemed nothing but curious as he eyed the silver haired boy beside him. His assistant in experiments and most of his plans stared up through circle glasses to the man.

"None Lord Orochimaru, not even a mention of any from the captures." Orochimaru looked up in contemplation before looking into the boy's face and waving his hand away.

"Interesting, go interrogate one of the weaker ones for something regarding the children."

"Yes Lord Orochimaru." The boy jumped off to the entrance of the village where the captives were held without a second thought. Orochimaru glanced at the place where the boy once stood, turning to where he went off to and continued his walk about the village.

Nothing greeted him, but the burnt corpses and billowing smoke erupting from places beside the path as a small tower came into view. Built of wood as the other buildings where it stood at the edge of the town where a cliff acted as the boundary. No smoke came from it and it stayed as it was, untouched as he had commanded. Perfect.

Having forgotten the lack of children he entered the tower in a quick stride, climbing stairs to a small observatory. A lookout to the land beyond the cliff and the area of containment for the scrolls he desired was what it was and he smirked at the convenience of it.

As it was a rainforest, a mass of black clouds swept over the village sending rain plummeting from the sky with strikes of lightning following close behind. Any traces of the fire slowly quelled to black scorch marks and collapsed remains. A simple storm that came as it usually did didn't faze the Lord in the least instead his mocking smile grew as his amber eyes browsed the selection before him. Numerous scrolls just stacked onto a diamond shelf, each paper different in age and color containing the secrets he had been searching for.

Orochimaru's long pale fingers clasped around the scroll ripe with the most age, taking careful movements when unraveling it to reveal the writing on different medical secrets as the thunder raged.

These were definitely the secrets he was looking for as he had conjured a storage seal over a pile of scrolls he had collected which teleported them into some other place until they could be received.

The scent of cold water and greens mixed with the charcoal, surrounding the area the rain touched. The lord trudged into the cold rainfall, his black hair limply hanging past his shoulders, taking carefree steps to the cliff his thoughts wandering to the various experiments he could achieve with his new info.

"Lord Orochimaru," said man turned to glance at his assistant his mind reminding him of the lack of children in this village.

"What have you found?" Kabuto looked over the cliff alongside the lord before answering.

"The kids were killed by a raging plant virus, but one let it slip that few remain hidden here."

Straight to the point and Orochimaru cracked a smirk as his eyes traced the ground in front of him.

"Where are the remaining little ones?" normally he would take what he needed and leave but there was still the thrill of uncovering that which is meant to be left alone.

"Under the tower," Such a perfect place to keep children …

"Hmmm then we shall pay them a visit." Kabuto showed his sadistic smile and nodded.

Together they walked through the precipitation into the tower stepping onto the wooden floors with a new interest. The tower itself only a small room with a spiral stairway to the observatory. Kabuto stared at the woven rug for a few moments before discarding the rug and lifting the latch that happened to be hidden beneath the rug.

Calea

I was in darkness when the screams began, not that they frightened me or anything but it was a bit unsettling. Beside me was our teen watcher who had passed out from the fatigue of combatting the virus, I'm sure I would have passed out too but the screams seemed to echo off everything and into by ears.

Though there were once many kids running wild here those days passed away as a new plant emerged from the forest. Or maybe it had been there all along? Whatever the case, some of the kids ate it thinking it was safe and I guess that's when things got out of control.

In the madness children succumbed to the virus the plant gave them and those of us who didn't eat it happened to gain it anyway for some reason. Select few us didn't get it at all or were able to combat the raging fevers , and for some reason our village leader deemed it necessary to have us kids kept safely in this tower basement.

Not a great place to stay or live but we managed, just the ten of us, for a couple months. We got our breaks, meals and sometimes playtime outside. No sparkles and rainbows though, and puppy eyes never seemed to work-heartless idiots-but in the end here we are.

I think someone attacked the village since the screams didn't happen often or at all usually. The teen watcher had us stay quiet through the whole thing but he and the others left to escape after they went silent.

I decided to stay for some odd reason and they left me . . . closed the latched, relayed the rug and ran for help with the promise to return. Even my older sister up and left, her life seemingly more valuable than mine, but she always was selfish.

So here I am, skinny, bored and tired. A pair of feet tapped to the top of the tower, back down and out and now they've returned with a new pair of feet. How do I feel about this? Peachy . . .

. . . the two people above just removed the rug . . . up goes the wooded hatch . . . here I find myself staring into the eyes of a pale guy who seems almost snakelike and his partner who has the most unsettling gaze right now…

We stare for a few moments before the younger one with silver hair speaks; "only one . . . where are the others?"

I tilt my head and shrug, "they left me." Why not tell them the truth; I don't see how a lie would make things any better.

The snake guy extends me a hand that I observe: white skin, smooth, nonthreatening-or at least not to me. Not much hesitation but I've got nothing better on my mind, so I take the pale hand and let him pull me out of the hole in the ground.

It's raining, the snake guy asks if I care about this village. How does one reply to that? I answer with the childish "I guess so." The one who introduced himself as Kabuto stares at me still, I stare back but his look is so weird, not gonna look at him. Nope. Maybe just a peek . . . Never mind.

The snake guy calls himself Orochimaru but claims he's a lord. Cool, I got saved by a lord, or is it captured since the village is . . . gone?

"Lord Orochimaru, what happened to the village?" I was six or so, and I rarely saw my parents but when the village is reduced to nothing questions need to be answered.

"I burned it." Never-mind that question . . .

"Oh . . . where are we going?"

"My current hideout…"

Kabuto is still staring at me . . .

My dark blue eyes trace the beams and collapsed piles for no particular reason. It's just interesting to look at. I wonder if my parents are still here, I had a sister, but she left with the others.

Sisnei is what we called her and I don't think she cared for me, I wish she did. We looked alike, the combined version of our parents; sapphire eyes, healthy cream skin, red hair that fell to our shoulders in waves. Her personality was always out there and overly selfish and here I am, walking away with some random lord. Maybe we were both selfish.

Orochimaru hands me over to Kabuto and I stare into his eyes, he stares back. In a swift motion he swings me onto his back and I give a small gasp at the unexpected move. The guy with the creepy stare is the one who gives me a piggy back ride; amazing. With my hands wrapped around his neck and his arms supporting my legs I lay me head onto his shoulder and watch the trees pass by. We both say nothing as he follows the snake lord who gives us a spare glance every once in a while until I drift to sleep.

"Calea? Wake up dear, it's time for breakfast . . ." Dreamland mixes with my distant memories and I see my sister happily dance about the room, her arms gracefully swinging and her body twirling. My mother watches from the door until she too decides to join, together they laugh and dance, both giddy with morning energy. As I smile and wave. Ignoring me, their spinning seems to get faster and their laughter softer. Faster and faster, softer and softer, dead silence and a spinning top rolling to a finish.

My eyes flutter open as Kabuto drops me onto a bed in one of the spare bedrooms. From his stance I can't determine that the base was far away from the village and . . . was I heavy? Weary but alert and I can't help but give a little chuckle thinking of his current face as I curl up in the bed watching him. He turns unceremoniously to me and quirks a brow that disappears behind his round glasses. Another giggle followed by a smile and his confusion continues.

"Thanks for the piggy-back ride!"

Kabuto nods, only a faint smile playing on his lips, barely visible, but there all the same.

Orochimaru-several days later

For reasons I cannot comprehend the scrolls I retrieved at not as simple secrets as they first appeared. The texts, in which the secrets are contained, are in a different sort of code pertaining to the village I burned. Would the girl understand the code? I wonder.

The lord raised himself from a desk where the opened scrolls, relieved of any curses, lay sprawled about its surface. His latest body had kept him young enough to be considered the sannin he had been, his night black hair sleek and silkily fallen past his shoulders, his skin the deep white to pronounce his features.

Kabuto entered his study carrying the reports on his latest experiments progress; development of the wood element had failed thus far.

"Kabuto, bring in some tea and the girl."

The boy who looked no more than ten stared before bowing to his higher up. No questions asked on which girl he wanted.

The eerie chuckle bounced around the walls, raspy but smooth, only Orochimaru could pull that off.

Kabuto

Asked to get the girl and I know which one he speaks of; the one from the rainforest village; the only remaining child throughout the whole endeavor of the burning. She's got a sort of, how would one put it, interesting aura about her. A fascinating pull in her features, though she's nothing special, her voice and face are calm similar to that of the ocean or rivers.

. . . I wonder where she is . . .

Kabuto's feet tap down a long winding corridor. Despite it being colder than normal, he's used to the sort by now, having lived here for quite a while. The walls are all orange stone with torches lit along them, flickering gentle at the smallest air movement.

The kitchen is just ahead behind a dark wood door that he slides open with ease, yet he halts as his eyes peer inside.

Calea ~~~~~~~

Been bored as I was before I came here . . . I recall the grand tour that one of the "lords" servants gave. He had pointed all the important places out such as the kitchen, library, training room and directed her to never venture into the west wing of base-something about experiments. I don't think my life would continue if I ventured into that wing, my curiosity was never that high, just a bundle of survival instincts . . . but I think they broke for the time being.

So I spent the day exploring the places that nice servant showed me, mainly the library and kitchen. The kitchen lady is nice like the servant but wants me to leave her alone. I can understand that.

Traveled to the library, must have taken a wrong turn 'cause I ended up at the front entrance. Multiple scary statues and something that resemble a giant anaconda- does that mean the lord thinks he's a snake?

I tried to leave but got my red hair snagged on the door . . . spent around an hour or so trying to pull it free. Sooooo . . . trusty stolen kunai thing, don't fail me now.

With the kunai in hand, I grasped the tangled part and sliced it from the none tangled. My long red waves fell to the orange stone floor and I heaved a sigh of relief. A moment of celebration; I didn't accidentally kill myself, yay!

For a moment I properly surveyed the area and as it would seem the front entrance scared me a bit after the whole snagging incident, so I made sure to steer clear of it, backtracking to the kitchen where the nice lady gave me a weird look. Not a look like the one Kabuto gave me, but one that went with what she said, "Um, what happened to your hair?"

"I got stuck and had to cut it." She stared at me, unmoving, her grey eyes scanning myself given haircut. I tilted my head to the side, the uneven red waves now only past my chin. The lady gave a sigh and beckoned me to a wooden chair and table. Taking her hint I sat and watched as she retrieved a pair of silver scissors.

Oh here comes Kabuto, but he's got a confused face. What's he confused about? I wonder . . .

Kabuto~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walked into the kitchen after a moment of hesitation. There sat the girl, fresher than a few days ago, calmly getting her red hair chopped off. What happened?

"What happened?" The girl's face scrunched up, so adorable for a kid, and she stuck her tongue out at me.

"I got it stuck and had to get unstuck." That answer told me absolutely nothing.

My brows furrowed and I stared at the slivers of red falling to the orange floor. Her hair length was now only to just below her chin. A pair of sapphire eyes meet with mine and her soft round face changes into one of happiness. I raise one of the furrowed brows.

Why is she happy? Her home was destroyed and her family possibly lost to her forever. But then again she is only a child and was kept in the basement of some tower, secluded from society for being a survivor. Slightly lost in my thoughts I hear a childish voice calling my name.

"Huh?" Not the best choice of words. . .

"Kabuto . . . why is the floor orange?"

Why is the floor orange?

"Because the stone is sand stone, hence the orange color."

She stares at me with an expression of interest, as I told her that pigs could fly. Does she understand what I'm talking about?

"Hey Kabuto?"

"Yeah." Another question perhaps?

"When can we see the lord guy?" Yes another question, one that reminds me of my orders of the moment.

"Lord Orochimaru? We'll see him as soon as you're finished and the servant brews the tea.

The lady cutting the girls hair, who was steadily listening to our conversation, stops and gets red in the face, almost like the Calea's hair.

"Oh right. Well, I think this is even and you can go on your way," states the servant moving away from Calea and briskly to put a kettle over a burner.

The girl hops off the chair and does a twirl, her shorter red hair swishing as she moves. Her gleeful smile and eyes bore into mine and before I can stop, I smile back.

Calea~~~~~~~~~~~

We left the kitchen with tea in hand. I would occasionally perform a spin and Kabuto would give me a hinted smile. I like him better when he smiles. Not a scary weird one like before but this newer happier one he has. I was given a navy blue robe thing that ties in the back, it's a little big for me considering my small stature, but I don't mind.

Another spin, a fit of giggles at my new hair style; it's so light and pretty, I love it! More smiles and giggles, spinning and dancing, another content look form Kabuto. This is the most fun I've had in months, much better than the basement.

"Were here, behave." I give him my most innocent look and he sighs.

The door slides open quietly and we proceed to enter the Orochimaru's study. In one of his wooden chairs he sat, propped on his elbows and staring intently at the unraveled scrolls before him. My smile slid off my face as I moved to his side. Amused, the lord turned to me and gestured to the parchment.

"Can you translate this?" Raspy as always, he spoke to me using soft words. My smile flashed once more and I leaned to examine the codes and languages. For some time I stood looking it over until Kabuto brushed against my shoulder, and I flinched.

The translation wasn't as bad as I thought but being as young as I was, the words written confused me, medical stuff I hardly understood. A chair was pulled up beside the lord for me and I sat, continuing my translating as the lord sipped his tea.

About an hour of relaying what I understood to the person who spared me a life of ground living was given and I felt little regrets. He recorded what I said with great care on other blank scrolls, filling them up one after another.

From what I understood the scrolls had diagrams and information on the rarest of plants to the rain forest and the most deadly. Descriptions upon descriptions of these plants, what they were said to do what they could be used for and the detailed identification. Boring and useful, I've seen most of them . . .

"Let's take a break." I couldn't agree more. Feeling tense from sitting too long I stood to stretch, happily reaching for the ceiling. A chuckle from the lord and I jumped into a star. Kabuto came in with questions about the progress, and I slipped from their sight. Maybe a trip to the west wing isn't too bad . . .


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter! Though I originally had a different one up earlier as the second chapter but . . . i didn't like it much. so this is the better revision that i hope you like. And thanks for reading! Disclaimer: I dont own any naruto characters but Calea is mine! Enjoy!**

Time skip, a couple months

Calea~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I explored the west wing I found things and people who interested me: a bunch of captives, medical labs and the herb garden. I never thought I would find myself interested in herbs or anything medical, but I guess it grew on me when I wasn't paying attention. Perhaps it's the appeal of healing and fixing things that I can't normally fix, I'll have to hunt down Kabuto and convince him to teach me or something.

Orochimaru found out about my west wing exploration yet doesn't seem bothered by it and I can't think of why he would. The captives are nice to talk to every once in a while, I'll tell them some of my adventures outside and they'll listen with the occasional comment.

Before we got to speaking terms they all cursed me for working with the lord, pleading to be released or threatening. But as time went on and the experiments continued they understood I couldn't help them out even if I wanted to. Gradually they warmed up to me and I would share some funny tales of meeting interesting people or destroying items of interest-accidents. We would laugh together and I bid them farewell, promising to visit later.

So here I am, walking to the herb garden. Orochimaru planted a new flower that was said to possess an intriguing look, bestowing beautiful scents upon those it favors. I want to see it! Is it pink? Or blue, I like blue flowers.

"Calea." My name, oh here comes a servant.

"Yes?" My fingers are feeling the new fabric from my fashioned dress I was given. Its red, like my short hair, with a white sash tied around my petite waist to my back. I give the servant girl my best smile of feign interest.

"The captives are asking for you . . . there is another experiment scheduled later."

"Oh. Ok. I'll go see them then." I wanted to see the flower . . . but I guess it can wait.

Together we skip up the halls, me skipping, the servant briskly walking. Its deep in the west wing where the prisoners are located, as far away from the exit as possible, which makes sense. After multiple twists and turns for around five minutes we come to a different tunnel, one that lowers deeper beneath the earth. The floor isn't there, only dirt that crunches as we traverse to its destination. I shiver as I always do, my skips ceasing to a trot until the end comes into view.

Iron doors blocking entrance, but are unlocked with a key of the same element, sweep open for me to enter.

Its cold here. Jars of creepy things line the walls on shelves, each grotesque or somehow disturbing. I plaster my smile into place and continue along the orange floors to another door (wooden). Voices plotting escape seep as whispers to my ears and I shake my head, turning the handle to open the door. The voices stop.

"Hey, I came to visit." Not a big smile, but one that held enough happiness to seem ignorant of everything.

"You returned!?" Few remaining survivors remain, each a person of different background, but as means to live they came to a truce. From their surprised faces I can gather that they thought I would abandon them, but why would I do that?

"Yeah, I wanted to see a new flower but I figured I see you first." Poor flower must miss me . . .

One with sandy blond hair and deep green eyes smiles, "I bet the flower was a beauty." I smile back at him. He's younger than the others only a teenager, while the others are middle-aged.

"I don't know, but I bet it is!" It's gonna be amazing.

They exchange a glance, all four remaining, before turning back to me.

"Is that a new dress? It suits you." Twirling and spinning, they happily watch from behind bars.

A coffee skinned guy sighs, "You remind me of the good old days, I wish we could get them back."

I let the smile slip, tilting my head to look at him, I understand his words but I hope those days never return.

"Keep strong and they'll return, I'm sure they will!"

"How can you be so sure of this?"

"Well, because things just will, you're smart guys, I'm sure you can escape this by surviving." They all share an expression of doubt that they all try to hide. Ignorance is bliss.

"Well what were your good days like?" It's the sandy guy again who speaks.

How should I answer this? Stuck in someone's cellar since everyone was too afraid for us to leave again, the village I had was torched? No, before the crisis, when I still loved my village, that's it.

"I have a sister, but she's not here"

Not the answer they expected but I continued with my tale, a half lie; a white lie.

"She had long red hair like mine, and is older than me. She is older than me and prettier. Back home in the village square, we would have festivals for dancing. Lots of colors and dancing would fill the square. We would join hands and dance in circles, spinning round and round. It's was great. In the center she would dance alone, the star of us all."

I found myself reenacting the star dance, twirls, twists, spins. Lost in the memory I gave a happy laugh and the captives chuckled with me.

"Then what?" Sandy guy spoke again with hidden interest that I knew was there.

"I would sneak into the center and we would sing a chant for good fortune,"

"Sing us the chant." A statement, to recall the past I had shoved away. For them, I guess I can sing just once.

My young voice took on a mysterious tone as I softly sung the words.

"Under the gaze of our moon

The flowers will bloom

The water pure and flowing

Our spirits will rise

Even as the sun will rise

Joyous we still dance"

I felt my voice rise and fall with each word for the short chant, inspiring a tear I allowed from these suppressed memories. Even at the young age I was at, I didn't normally let the tears flow, but my past was something I didn't want to remember most times.

My dark blue eyes fell upon the bowed heads of the guys, lifting they gave me a warm smile each and thanked me for the hope.

A small nod, a brief smile, and a wave, though the experiment might fail, perhaps they would live. I hope they do.

My scandals traverse back up the tunnel to my original place, journeying to the flower I wanted to see so badly. A soft tapping across the orange stone to the garden alerts me to yet another presence. Stepping from the shadows walks Kabuto.

"Let's go see the flower, Kabuto" Ignorance is bliss, so my small fingers clasp his and I acted as though my past actions hadn't occurred. I tilt my head to watch his silver hair, I wish mine was similar. Since he's here, doesn't that mean he's going for the experiments? Or is it to tend to his selection of plants as I do to mine.

"Are you gonna go to the garden?" A smirk as he looks down on me.

"Yes, for now."

"Ok, is the flower pretty?"

"Very."

"Then let's go!" I scramble forward, happily dragging him with me.

Vines grew wild, herbs and spices remain manageable, and a miniature flowerbed waits to be watered all under the crystal domelike structure above the garden. Large natural boulders cover any view outward but the gleaming sun and it clouds could be seen in all their glory. Unlike the sandstone in the hideout tunnels, these rocks were various shades of grey, silver and black with intriguing shadows.

During my time here, I grew accustomed to this room, me and flowers are one in the same, oh there's the flower! Its this wonderous shade of blue, a stunning turquoise with a dark outer rim to the petals. Four petals spread with a yellow center and a long winding stem. Simply enchanting!

No sweet scent is emitted from it and I feel my face fall into a pout.

"Give it some time." Kabuto stands behind me, hands in his pockets, eyes intent on the magnificent flower.

"Ok." I can't think of another response in my slight disappointment. Maybe I was hoping it would love me and I would be able to smell its sweet scent. Too bad.

Kabuto relocated to examine his poisonous developments, while my fingers brushed over the petals of several roses. Through the clear crystal I water my flowers through a pail, sun rays warming my skin from the cold earlier. Without noticing I find myself humming a forgotten melody, peaceful and content as it is. Kabuto stops moving to listen, his closest ear turned to me.

I'm so lost in the moment, clipping dead flowers from the roses then watering them that I hardly noticed Kabuto smile, collect his samples and leave. But things turn out that way sometimes.

For the next hour, I continue my ritual of plant tending and humming, happily moving along until finished. Sometimes this is the way things ought to be.

"Kabuto? Hmm I guess he left . . . I forgot to ask him about the medical stuff . . . darn." I pouted staring at the now vacant room. Might as well work on the flower beds then . . . hm hm hm hm da da dum da da dum . . .

Kimimaru~~~~~~~~~`

There is this girl here. She's been just as long as I have but I have yet to see her. From what I gather she's quite a sight to see; deep blue eyes, short red hair, and an outgoing nature. I want to run into her at some point but I figure that can happen later. Right now, I just want to see some flowers.

Ever since being found I've been trained by whom-ever had the time to, occasionally it would be Orochimaru but usually it's just me so might as well take a break. I could talk to the others who are by the lords side but I don't converse with them. They just are competing for his appreciation just as I have and I don't want to risk what I have.

There are multiple reasons to try and gain his praise since I am happier than before and the fact that he chose to save me from the prison was kept in. I hope to repay him someday for this and fulfill my place I his eyes. Until then I'll continue along this winding path I'm on.

The orange stone if cold as I walk up the inclining tunnel to the garden, though it seems to get warmer with each passing step. Torches flickering as I walk past shed light on my feet and the direction I want to go. For a few moments this continues, yet a sweet tune greets my ears as I reach my long awaited destination.

I wait, listening through the door to this voice that's young and girly. Should I enter? Yes, I wanted to see the flowers.

Sensing the lack of threat form this girl, I eased open the wooden door that my ear had been pressed to stopping to observe what was before me.

Calea~~~~~~~~~~

There's a guy watching me? White hair, pale skin two dots on his forehead, a curious face . . . watching me . . . he's adorable!

"Hey, why are you staring?" I ask, turning to face him completely from the end of the petite garden.

A pink tint becomes apparent on this boy's face as he turns to look away from me. I give a small sigh.

"Never mind that um . . . Hi, my name is Calea!" I don't understand the look of shock that crosses his features but it's so cute. Without realizing it my lips pull into a full blow grin.

"Kimimaru's mine, hi Calea." Such a soft voice, I wonder if he'll be my friend.

"Do you wanna be friends Kimimaru?" His pint tint returns and I resist the urge to hug him. To my relief he nods and I beckon him over to my favorite flower; the newest edition to the garden.

"It's pretty!" Maybe I should hug him! But not now . . . hopefully later though.

"Yay! It is my favorite! Is it your favorite?" He smiles and nods at me . . . for whatever reason his timid nature causes me to squeal and embrace him. So my resisting urge failed but he's so adorable? Although, I may have surprised him and it seems as though everyone is taller than me.

"Let's play a game! How about tag?" I hope he agrees. Another nod.

"Yeah! Tag you're it!" I take off sprinting in my dress thing out the door and into the tunnels with the boy hot on my heels.

~~~Kimimaru

I'm not sure why I agreed to play or be friends but the hideout can get lonely by your-self. Wait she running away, is this tag? That must mean I've got to chase her … she's so fast?!

My feet carry me down the halls following close behind the girl yet I can't seem to speed up enough to tag her back. She's turning, now's my chance! Got her!

Calea's giggling at me and now she's chasing me? Got to run away but she's so quick. This way, that way, how long have I been running? Uh oh, I've been tagged and she's running away … more chasing.

~~~_some years passed where this fun continued but as Calea grew the people around her changed, even her once sunny optimism seemed to be snuffed out. It wasn't bad or anything but you could tell she had lost interest in lost of things, yet her progress didn't waver in the least. But when we didn't expect it she was gone and the lord was furious; everyone who knew her understood when she left; she seized her opportunity. I wonder if I'll ever see her again.~~~~_

_Calea~~~~~~~~~_

I hear a knock to my door. Loud and urgent, the most irritating sort when sleep is all you really care about. A fist on a block of wood is pounding too much; can't a girl get any time to take a snooze?

I can hear the groan escape my throat and feel my fingers brushing my red hair from my face. Groggily I manage to roll from the twin bed I was resting in only to fall in a heap on the floor. It's cool and calming, the floor; a great way to awaken at whatever time it is. Maybe it's somewhere around two in the morning, but there's no windows in here so who knows.

The knocking is gaining volume, and at this point, it's going to give me a headache. Best check whose there then, I wonder who it is this time. My hands push me from the peaceful tile floor and I move from a crouch to standing.

Am I still tired? A yawn leaves my lips, my arms stretching to the low ceiling and then to my toes. Yup, definitely still tired. In a few steps I leave my room and enter my lab, which just happens to be the only way to my room, go figure. I'm not sure how, but the lab is significantly cooler than my tiny bedroom. Is it because the place I sleep is smaller than the lab? Probably.

With bare feet I navigate through the tables, shelves, cauldrons and all other miscellaneous things I left around, eventually reaching the heavy set door blocking me from the rest of the base.

"Please. Just stop knocking already!" I think I sounded desperate when I said it, even a bit stressed like I always am now. The knocking persisted, still as irritating as it was before, but somehow more so.

"Quit it! Stop! No more knocking!" Silence. "Thank you, now just wait a moment." More silence; how unsettling. I swept my white coat from a nearby hook, fitting it onto my average frame and tying it closed. In a way it resembled a colorless robe made of breezy white material that was durable and comfortable. Confident that my small pajamas were covered I removed the barricade holding the door locked, letting it open inward.

In my doorway lays a bloody blond with a black cloak covered in red clouds, just lovely how they always seem to end up here. Observing the blond was the none other than Sasori who held an expression of boredom. Typical of him I guess, rank S killers that had banded together into an organization of death, they usually were emotionless when it came to injuries of killings.

So we both stood there for a minute to watch the motionless blond lay bleeding onto my tile. I gave a sigh and shook my head, why must this happen so early in the morning?

"Move him inside. Onto the table would be nice though." We stared at each other, his face expressionless and mine visibly tired. Sasori nodded, his pale fingers lifting from the cloak he wore-also black with red clouds. Only a glint showed his invisible chakra strings attach to the unconscious blond, lifting him as though he were a puppet.

The extents of his injuries were outrageous. Long jagged claw marks, third degree burns, head trauma, and a mass of black bruises marked his pale skin almost like a battlefield. That's what I could tell once he was floating to the table in my lab.

"What did he do?" Sasori blinked, still wearing a poker face, and let the blond fall unceremonially to the table.

"His target knew him personally." That would explain the whole dilemma here. The way these guys came here on a normal basis was quite the time spender. Who would have thought choosing this organization over Orochimaru would be so stressful?

Picking up a nearby set of needles I slipped into one of his pressure points. This should relieve some head pain, this one should rid him of abdominal pain, and this should calm and numb his muscles. One after another, I placed the small amount into his pressure points, later grabbing a set of herbal potions and spreading them onto the injuries they would mend- the benefit from studying that garden for as long as I did.

While I worked, Sasori stood off the side, observing me through chocolate eyes. When I finish this they should bring me some cookies or something.

The now mending blond stirred, his azure eyes taking in his surroundings, and for some reason he smiled. WHAT ARE YOU SMILING ABOUT? His eyes meet mine and his smile widens.

"Thanks for the help, yeah." I stare, dumbfounded I guess, before jerking one of the needles from his skin. I smirk at the yelp he gives once the feeling returns to his body, it was immediate. Torturing this blond was always a fun pastime to have.

"Owww! That hurt, yeah!" My smirk widens and I suppress the urge to laugh at the sweat drop that appears on his temple. Shaking my head, I pull all other needles from his pressure points in swift jerks and he practically swears my ears off with each one.

The herbal medicine had mended the skin nicely, leaving manageable cuts that I easily fix with my trusty medical chakra. Medical ninjutsu is one of the most useful things to learn ever, yet not many ninjas can perform it, none of the akutsuki can do it. Which is why they all come to me and in some cases Kakazu, the scary stitching guy who's face is a mystery and most likely a nightmare.

"All done." I can't help laughing at how the blond glares at me, but then again I can't even take him seriously as one of the members.

"Why the face Deidara? Is the pain too much?" If looks could kill, I would have probably been six feet under by now.

"Don't torture the blond." Oh now my mornings complete; a white and black plant person is halfway through my wall. What now?

"Kill it so we can eat him."

"Pein wants him alive for the time being."

"But we could take a bite and have Calea fix him."

"True, but can she do it"

"It never hurts to find out."

"And if it fails?"

"We eat him anyway."

Deidara and I stare at the creepy plant guy arguing with himself, before sharing a confused glance. Plant guys who can walk through walls are deadly and should be avoided. Infinitely avoided. . .

"The blond is fine, sooo, don't kill him." The arguing duo person thing looked over at me, the white one in mock interest and the other in anger. With a final glance at Deidara, together they morph through my walls once more with a message to meet up with Pein later.

Sasori joins Deidara and I at the lab table and I find myself unhappily staring at my walls as though they could eat me or something. The blond is flexing his fists and glaring at me and the wall, while the redhead beside me grabs his wrist; inspecting him for any unknown injuries that hadn't been addressed.

"I think I'm gonna leave for a while." Surprised they turn to me, and I glance in their direction with a brief nod. "It may be better this way, but just so I can take a break." The redhead's blank eyes pierce mine, "that's not a good idea."

"Yeah, what if we need you and you're not here? Then what, yeah?" Blondie jumps from the table to face me dead on, though his height has me looking up, but only 'cause I reach his nose.

"I need a vacation, so don't die and see Kakazu for stitching when needed." I sound rehearsed. That's ok, but I really do need to leave, at least for a while. More staring ensues.

"Please stay, yeah?" Slightly desperate. Am I that important? I guess so.

I shake my head, its been too long since I've seen anywhere.

"What about Orochimaru?" Sasori speaks with some hints of concern which to people besides me and few others have come to notice.

"Orochimaru won't get me, and I doubt he's still cares." It's true, that guy had so many different goals that I could never understand his interest in me, but as ninja we can be replaced.

"Think this over Calea, and even if you want this, leader has to approve." Deidara and Sasori have decided against this, but there's leader's good'ole rule of being in an organization of criminals that has him deciding our fates and missions. Usually this doesn't apply to me . . . except now.

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